


the more important things

by copperbadger, daaaaphnx, dahliaaaa, rainlilyy



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, M/M, Ravenclaw, Slytherin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-13
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-21 15:41:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,490
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30024054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/copperbadger/pseuds/copperbadger, https://archiveofourown.org/users/daaaaphnx/pseuds/daaaaphnx, https://archiveofourown.org/users/dahliaaaa/pseuds/dahliaaaa, https://archiveofourown.org/users/rainlilyy/pseuds/rainlilyy
Summary: the story of four girls from different homes, different families, different ways of life. the one thing that brings them together? witchcraft and wizardry.
Relationships: Cedric Diggory/Original Female Character(s), Draco Malfoy/Original Female Character(s), Fred Weasley/Original Female Character(s), George Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Ginny Weasley/Original Female Character(s), Hermione Granger/Ron Weasley, Luna Lovegood/Harry Potter, Sirius Black/Remus Lupin
Kudos: 1





	1. Preface

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the warnings are tagged for things that occur later in the story and will be noted at the beginning of the chapter.

* * *

"Me!" said Hermione. "Books! And cleverness! There are more important things - friendship and bravery and - oh Harry - be careful!”

brought to you by: daisy, dahlia, rain lily and rose

  


  
with editorial contributions by @daaaaphnx


	2. September 1st 1990

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> year 1 - the train
> 
> estelle and elinor meet océane and astrid

* * *

Running straight at a wall was not at all how Estelle was used to getting to school; normally it was a 10 minute car ride. She wasn’t complaining though, her eyes rapidly moving around Platform 9 ¾ as she watched other students say goodbye to their families. She passed a man hugging his son, tears in his eyes, as the boy laughed loudly. She smiled at the sight, making her way towards the train until her mother’s arms pulled her out of her thoughts and into a hug.

“Ouch, Mum, stop,” she whined. “I’ll miss the train.” 

Her mother chuckled and looked around the platform, seeing that it was still quite full. No one seemed to be in quite the same rush as her daughter.

The tall woman released Estelle from the hug, wringing her hands together nervously.

“I’m so proud of you Elle, make sure you write to us, I want to hear all about it—your house, friends, everything. Alright?” 

“Of course, Mum!” She shouted with a wave, turning away from her parents only to immediately trip over the suitcase of the girl next to her. She got up muttering a sorry to the girl only to set off on a run again, ignoring her mother’s pleading to be careful.

Eleven-year-old Elinor snickered softly to herself at the poor girl’s lack of grace as her mother wrestled her blonde hair into a twist. 

Beside her, Astrid Rosier was in the same position as Narcissa Malfoy ran her hands through her niece's hair. Astrid tuned out her aunt’s voice as she gazed across the platform in a happy daze searching for a head of bouncing curls. 

Her heart longed to be beside her cousin. The Delvauxs and Weasleys had arrived together and at present, Océane was surrounded by heads of red hair towering around her, exaggerating the girl’s already small stature.

Océane had not slept a wink the night before, instead daydreaming about the sweeping grounds and sun-lit corridors of Hogwarts. Océane was confident she and Astrid would be in Gryffindor just like Fred and George as they were, after all, the best of friends. There was no question about it. 

Océane was sure she would combust, the air around her sparking with electric excitement, as Charlie Weasley ushered her onto the train with his brothers. 

“Oh, you two are going to make such exemplary Slytherins!” Hestia Fairfax gushed, placing a hand on Elinor and Astrid's shoulders. 

Astrid beamed, looking to her aunt who nodded along. Her family had always been in Slytherin; Astrid simply figured she would be as well. It would make her happy to be like them. The picture of perfection, her family had always been exactly what Slytherins should be. As much as she longed to follow in the footsteps of those who had preceded her, a part of her heart was pulled back to the summer, remembering Océane proudly proclaiming they would be in Gryffindor just like the twins. She knew it’d be fun to be in the same house as her best friends, but they could still be friends even if she was in Slytherin. George and Fred would get over it, right? They were best friends after all, and even the Sorting Hat couldn’t change that.

Elinor, on the other hand, couldn't care less about being sorted into Slytherin, and in fact really couldn’t be bothered to care about Hogwarts at all.

“I think they’d make wonderful Gryffindors as well.” 

Elinor pushed her shoulders back, standing a little bit taller at her father’s words. If she had to go, she assumed being in the same house as her dad would be much better. 

“Adrian, do take care of them won’t you?” Narcissa asked as the trio gathered their bags.

“Of course, Mrs. Malfoy,” Adrian extended his arm waving the two girls forward. “Shall we, ladies?”

“Of course, Mrs. Malfoy,” Astrid mocked in a nasally voice once the parents were out of earshot. “Come off it, Adrian!” she added, giving him a shove.

* * *

Leaving the older Weasleys behind, Océane pushed her way through students trying to find compartments whilst dragging Fred along with her, George not far behind. She was determined to find Astrid so the four of them could sit together.

“Océane!” Astrid shouted, waving to the group from down the corridor.

The two ran to meet each other, Astrid bringing Océane into a brief hug.

“It’s wonderful, isn’t it Astrid? Even the train feels magical, I didn’t sleep at all last night, I repacked my bag three times!”

Elinor rolled her eyes, unable to fathom why the tiny girl was making such a big deal out of school. She hadn't slept much the night before either. It wasn’t out of excitement, but rather out of dread. She had hoped that some freak accident would occur, preventing her from leaving all she was accustomed to behind. The hours spent lying awake were wasted, however, as Elinor found herself tapping her foot in the cramped train corridor.

“Okay, let’s get going,” Océane said, waving her hand in front of Fred and George’s faces to get their attention as they were currently quite busy staring down Adrian. “We have to find a compartment.”

“We spent so much time wandering around, they’re all full now,” Adrian mused.

Océane looked to Fred who nodded. “Unfortunately I think he may be right, the slick little git.”

“We weren’t wandering around. I had to find my friends,” Astrid corrected, motioning to Océane and the twins.

“Well I’m going to the Slytherin car,” Adrian said, pushing past Fred and George. “You coming, Astrid? Elinor?”

“No thank you, Adrian,” Elinor responded coolly, dismissing him with a wave of her hand.

“I think I’ll see you after the feast, alright Adrian?”

“Yeah, alright.” He chuckled, heading towards the back of the train. 

“I think we better get going too, Fred.” George turned to his brother.

Océane looked up, confused. “Wait, where to? I thought we were all going to sit together?!” she said.

“I’m ‘fraid we have other business to attend to.” Fred said, a wide grin spreading across his face as he pulled a pair of dung bombs from his pockets and strode off in the same direction Adrian had gone.

“Elinor, Océane, Asteroid,” George said with a salute before turning to follow his brother.

“So that is who you brought me to look for?” Elinor questioned. “Astrid has odd friends,” she decided. If it were her decision, Elinor would be gladly sulking in her own compartment instead of attempting to make nice like her mother ordered her to.

“Yup, George and Fred, and also my cousin. This is Océane,” Astrid said, nodding to the short girl beside her.

“Pleasure to meet you,” she said, extending her hand. “My name is Elinor Fairfax.”

Océane raised her eyebrow at the girl's hand. “Quite formal,” she thought, but shook her hand and gave her a soft smile in return.

The girls set off together in search of a compartment, Gryffindor house weighing heavy on all three of their minds. 

Elinor’s fingers were beginning to hurt from the metal handle on her owl’s cage. Hobbes was a parting gift from her father and though she quite liked him, she wished he was not so heavy.

“Why not here? There doesn’t seem to be any empty ones left.” Elinor begged, dropping down Hobbes’ cage, causing him to ruffle his wings indignantly.

The three girls looked into the compartment to see a girl with long, copper hair sitting alone. Astrid opened the door and stuck her head inside.

“Are you waiting for anyone? Mind if we sit here?” She asked.

Estelle jumped back, startled, and looked away from the departing platform outside the window and to the girl who had just entered her compartment. Behind her she spotted a familiar face, that of the girl whose luggage she tripped over. 

“It’s okay, I'm not waiting for anyone,” Estelle responded cheerfully, shaking her hands softly to rid herself of nerves.

Astrid nodded gratefully, thanking the girl as she entered and placed her bags in the luggage compartment. She sat down across from Estelle.

“I’m Astrid.”

“This is Elinor.” Astrid motioned to the girl who was fussing over her owl but looked up to spare a glance at Estelle. “And this is Océane.” 

Océane gave a small wave as she dug through her bag looking for a game of Exploding Snap. “Fancy a game, Astrid?” she asked.

“Sure!” Astrid nodded to her cousin before turning back to Estelle. “So what's your name?”

“Estelle Braam.”

“I haven't heard that surname before. Who are your parents?” Elinor asked.

“Elinor!” Astrid scolded. “You don’t have to answer that, Estelle.”

“Hilves and Evan Braam.”

“My goodness, are you a Muggleborn?” Elinor pressed, leaning forward in interest.

Estelle had only heard the term once before, when Professor McGonagall came to visit her family and explain her acceptance at Hogwarts to them. The way Astrid had tried to keep Elinor from asking her questions confused her. “Is it a bad thing, being Muggleborn?” she wondered.

“I-I guess so,” Estelle mumbled.

She watched as Astrid shook her head at Elinor, who was looking around with an odd, sad look on her face. Océane, on the other hand, was looking at Elinor as though she had sprouted a unicorn horn.

“Is that a bad thing?” Estelle wondered aloud, frantically looking between her new companions.

“No, of course not. It doesn’t even matter,” Océane said confidently.

Astrid nodded fervently in agreement. “If anyone ever says anything to you about it, you mustn't listen to them. Come right to us if that happens, okay?” 

Before she could respond, the compartment door was flung open and two identical ginger boys burst in.

“Act normal,” one of them said, flopping down onto a seat.

Estelle looked to the other girls wondering if they were as confused by the sudden appearance of the rowdy boys as she was.

Evidently they were not as Elinor wrinkled her nose and Astrid and Océane burst out laughing at the sight of three boys in green ties with equally green faces barrelling past down the corridor.

“What did you do, George?” Astrid giggled as the twins squeezed in beside her and Océane.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” the boy called George deadpanned. 

“Just showing the Slytherins a good time,” the other grinned.

The sun-soaked compartment filled up with laughter as the train continued along to its destination.

* * *


	3. Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Slytherin

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> the sorting ceremony

* * *

“We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes’ time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately.”

Six heads looked up from their game of Exploding Snap at the sound of the announcement sounding throughout the train. Astrid gasped, scrambling up onto a seat to drag her bulky luggage down from the storage.

“Fred and George, you should really go change into your robes,” Océane said, following her cousin up from the floor. 

“Nah,” Fred smirked. “I think I’m just fine with what I’m wearing now, don’t you think so, George?”

George opened his mouth to reply but was unable due to the shoe that Astrid launched at his face. 

“Out!” She demanded. The twins jumped up from where they were sprawled on the floor, saluting dramatically before laughing their way out the compartment door. 

The four girls pulled on their sets of long black robes just as the train screeched to a halt and stopped at a small, dark platform. Estelle’s face had become very pale and pinched with anxiety as the girls scraped together their playing cards and left the compartment, stepping off of the train and into the chilly night air. 

A voice boomed out over the din of the students, “Right then, firs’ years over here! Firs’ years this way!” What color remained on Estelle’s face drained away as she saw a very large, very hairy man towering over the crowd on the platform. The sea of people getting off of the train parted around him as they passed him by.

Steeling herself, Astrid grabbed hold of Océane’s hand and surged forward. Looking back, Océane saw Estelle’s overwhelmed expression and grabbed the sleeve of her robe so she wouldn’t get lost. Panicked, Estelle flung an arm out, smacking Elinor in the face before securing a hold on the collar of her robe. Hagrid beamed down at them as the group came to a halt in front of him.

“C’mon, follow me -- anymore firs’ years? Mind yer step, now!”

The first years followed Hagrid along a dark, narrow path. Their feet slid and slipped on the wet stones they walked on. Nobody dared to speak. The only sound to be heard was the chattering of teeth in the cold nighttime.

“Jus’ round this bend,” Hagrid called over his shoulder, “yeh’ll get yer first sight o’ Hogwarts.”

There was a chorus of gasps as the narrow path opened to reveal a great castle with glittering lights shining from its windows perched atop a tall cliff. A vast black lake stretched below it, reaching to the very edge of where the first years stood. The four girls stood awestruck, mouths agape and eyes sparkling, as they took in Hogwarts castle for the very first time. They were jolted out of their trance by the sound of Hagrid’s rough voice.

“No more’n four to a boat!” Hagrid said, pointing toward a fleet of boats bobbing in the shallow water by the shore. The girls, who had not yet let go of each other, piled into one of the boats. Elinor grabbed the lantern lying on the ground, hoisting it above their heads to give the little boat some light.

“Everybody in?” boomed Hagrid, whose boat was sunk a few inches into the water. “Right then -- FORWARD!”

The small boats departed from the shore and coasted across the smooth surface of the lake. Astrid and Océane were practically vibrating in their seats with anticipation as they huddled together, gazing up at the castle that towered above them more and more as they glided closer. 

Passing under a dangling curtain of ivy, the little boats traveled through a damp tunnel that appeared to lead directly under the castle. The flickering lantern light cast shadows on the tunnel walls as the students sailed along. Elinor winced as a drop of water from the ceiling fell and landed on her forehead. The tunnel emptied the group into a cavern with an old mossy stone dock, where the first years climbed out of their boats. They followed Hagrid up a set of slippery stairs before huddling around a large, wooden door.

“Everyone here? Got yer wits about ya?”

Hagrid raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.

To the surprise of the crowd in front of it, the door swung open immediately.

“Thank you, Hagrid.” An older woman with black greying hair appeared before the group of students. “I will take them from here.” 

“Welcome to Hogwarts. My name is Professor McGonagall,” she said. “The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your Houses. The four Houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. While you are here, your House will be something like your family within Hogwarts.”

Astrid turned to Océane, giving her hand a squeeze as the two grinned at each other. They knew where their family was at Hogwarts -- it was sure to be Gryffinor.

“Each House has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your House points, while rule-breaking will cost points. At the end of the year, the House with the most points is awarded the House Cup. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever House becomes yours.” 

“Now, form a line,” Professor McGonagall said, looking down her hooked nose at the first years, “and follow me.”

Elinor, who was prepared to stand outside the large doors all night until she was allowed to go home, was pulled into the quickly forming line by Astrid.

There was a collective gasp as the doors to the Great Hall opened and the first years marched their way in. Estelle could not pick a single spot upon which to focus her eyes. The ceiling reflected a wide starry sky. Candles bobbing in midair filled the entire room. “Magic,” she thought to herself. The long tables that spanned the hall were lined with students in nearly identical black robes. The school year had yet to begin and Estelle already didn’t want it to end. How was she supposed to go back home after seeing this?

To Elinor, the sight of the Great Hall was somewhat of an underwhelming one. The enormous room did not look dissimilar to the ballroom at her home, which could just as easily be filled with floating candles if her parents used their magic. 

Professor McGonagall placed a stool in front of the first years. Upon it sat a pointed wizard’s hat. The crowd of first years leaned forward in curiosity, before leaping back in surprise as a rip in the hat opened like a mouth and began to sing:

I may not seem like much,  
But who are you to judge me as such,  
The smartest hat in all the land  
I promise you that  
Your flat tops and caps don't stand a chance  
For I’m the Hogwarts Sorting Hat  
There’s nothing hidden in your head  
For now I know it all  
Your biggest dream and deepest fear  
I'll tell you how you'll fall  
A soldier with a mighty sword  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
Great and brave at heart,  
With the strength of a shining sun  
Their daring, nerve, and chivalry  
Gyffindor will win the war;  
Walking through the valley,  
Loyal and true  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Unafraid of evil  
They faithfully protect,  
A Hufflepuff is always ready to give;  
Or yet the poet: wise old Ravenclaw,  
They do not need a sword  
If you’ve a ready mind, your weapon is your word  
those of wit and learning,  
Like a polished arrow  
Ravenclaw can rule them all;  
Or perhaps you live with thorns,  
Staunch and cunning Slytherin,  
That’s what I’ll choose for you  
Parting seas, you’ll make it through  
But they must mind their tempers,  
Lest they tear our city down;  
So step on up and put me on  
We’ll find the spot for you.

The hall was filled with applause as the hat finished its song. Professor McGonagall stepped forward with a roll of parchment.

“When your name is called, you will come up and sit on the stool to be sorted,” she said, unfurling the scroll.

“Allister, Irene!” 

A tall blonde girl excused herself as she rushed past Estelle and Elinor. The hat was placed upon her head.

“RAVENCLAW!” boomed the Sorting Hat.

“Anders, Vita,” continued McGonagall.

This time it was Slytherin.

“Braam, Estelle!”

She did not move when her name was called as the girls before her had done, and instead stood frozen, her wide eyes fixed on the hat in McGonagall's hand. Elinor pushed her forward, not unkindly. 

Estelle briefly faced Elinor, giving her a nod and a shaky smile before quickly making her way up the steps and stopping in front of the stool. McGonagall motioned for her to sit down. 

Looking around at the different tables as she took her seat, she wondered which she would prefer to end up in. They all seemed nice enough, she supposed. Slytherin, she recalled, was the one the twins said she should avoid. Everyone else had agreed with them, though Estelle didn’t understand why. Green was a pretty colour.

“Hmm,” Mused the hat softly. “You have a good mind, I see. A desire to succeed as well. Ah, but I see boundless loyalty! And such passionate caring! In that case, you’ll go to HUFFLEPUFF!” 

The hat roared the last word to the hall and instantly cheers erupted from the yellow clad table. Estelle hopped from the stool giving McGonagall a smile before heading towards her house's table on still somewhat shaky legs. There were plenty of seats for her to choose from as she was the first to be sorted into Hufflepuff. She chose one next to the boy she had seen on the platform with his father earlier.

Once McGonagall had made her way through the C’s it was Océane’s turn. She flew up the stairs, almost tripping on her robes. She squeezed her eyes shut as she sat down, oh how she hoped to be in Gryffindor -

“Gryffindor, aye?” Asked the hat, eliciting a nod from Océane. “Hmm, I don't think so. Much too witty for that lot.”

“RAVENCLAW!” It shouted.

Océane’s eyes shot open. She looked to the Gryffindor table, expecting to be met with disappointed looks by her friends. Instead, Fred and George were both giving her thumbs up, Charlie clapped from beside them as well. She smiled sadly at them, before heading to her table.

“Maybe you’ll have better luck,” she whispered to Astrid as she passed by, giving her hand a squeeze.

“Fairfax, Elinor!”

Elinor drew herself up and smoothed down her robes before walking up the steps and taking her seat on the stool. As the hat was lowered over her eyes she wondered when it had last been cleaned. Had her mother sat in this same spot with the same hat atop her head? Elinor frowned, remembering her mother raving about how her daughter was destined to be an “exemplary Slytherin”.

“Not Slytherin?” The hat questioned. “I have to agree with you on that. In fact, I sense plenty of brains on you, should I put you in Ravenclaw, then?”

“No, not Ravenclaw,” Elinor whispered back fiercely. “In fact I would rather you put me nowhere at all, then I'd be allowed to go home.” 

“How interesting!” The hat exclaimed. “You’ve got a lot of nerve...yes, and plenty of determination as well. Perhaps you would thrive in Gryffindor...”

Elinor sighed -- she didn’t want to be in Gryffindor either. Astrid and Océane’s friends Fred and George were in Gryffindor, and Elinor was really hoping to not have to see them ever again.

“Not your cup of tea either,” said the hat. “Picky, how picky...I think it must go like this...yes, I’m sure! GRYFFINDOR!”

Elinor sighed and handed the Sorting Hat to McGonagall as its words rang through the hall before begrudgingly making her way over to the cheering table of Gryffindors.

Astrid stared after Elinor as she slinked off to sit with her new House. It seemed that Elinor’s father had been right. “How odd,” she thought, “That my friends have yet to end up where they wanted.”

She waited for what seemed to be forever, as Hausmannin, Hewit, Lang, Losett, Latimer, McCalmont, Montague, and Page were sorted into Slytherin, Hufflepuff, Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin, Slytherin again and then Ravenclaw respectively. Astrid watched carefully, trying to decipher where the hat might place her. The Slytherins, she noted, were all people she’d met.

“Rosier, Astrid!”

McGonagall had only just placed the hat on her head when it shouted out loud. 

“SLYTHERIN!”

Astrid jumped to her feet, sending a smirk to Adrian who was cheering loudly with the other Slytherins. She purposefully avoided looking at the Gryffindor table, not wanting to discover what looks had made their way onto the faces of the Weasleys. 

Océane grabbed her cousin's hand as she walked past her, whispering, “Your father would be proud.” Astrid’s face lit up. “She always knows what to say,” she thought.

“Yours too!” She replied, squeezing Océane’s hand. “I’ll find you after.” she added before hurrying to take a seat next to Adrian at the Slytherin table.

Lyra Yarrow was the last student to be sorted -- “GRYFFINDOR!” -- and Professor McGonagall put the Sorting Hat away.

Dumbledore stood from his spot at the head table and silence fell over the Great Hall.

“I’m sure you're all eager to begin the feast, so let us not waste a second more.” He proclaimed with a smile before taking his seat again.

Astrid quickly filled her plate from all the platters of food that appeared on the tables: potatoes and vegetables as well as a small tower of treacle tarts. She figured if she focused hard enough on eating she could ignore her growing urge to look up at George and Fred. Soon enough, she found herself laughing along at a story Adrian was enthusiastically telling about a time that Marcus Flint flew into one of the Quidditch posts.

On the other side of the Great Hall, Elinor also hoped that she would be able to forget about the loud twins and enjoy her dinner. However, the two boys made that quite the impossible task as they shouted down the table to their friends and, at one point, started an arm wrestling match. To distract herself, she began to speak with the older Weasley named Charlie who was sitting next to her. He seemed much calmer than his younger siblings and was rather fun to talk to. If the rest of the Gryffindors were like him, she assumed it wouldn’t be too terrible a house to be a part of.

Estelle, on the other hand, was too afraid to speak to any of her new housemates and instead ate her mashed potatoes in silence. Although she kept a relatively calm outside appearance, she was feeling overwhelmed on the inside. Everyone around her was speaking loudly about people and places she knew nothing about and none of them had even batted an eye when piles of food appeared out of thin air. She took a deep breath, remembering her mother’s advice to just be herself, and turned to introduce herself to the kind-faced boy next to her.

Although she was disappointed to be separated from her friends, Océane was fitting in at the Ravenclaw table. As she and her housemates ate and laughed and became acquainted, she spared a glance towards Gryffindor’s table only to see Fred already staring at her with an odd expression on his face. She blinked, surprised, but before she could do anything further, the prefects were standing up and ushering the students out of their seats and towards the looming doors of the Great Hall. As she followed her fellow first years through the winding castle hallways, Océane felt her eyes growing heavy. Before she knew it, she was filing into the Ravenclaw common room and up a long spiraling staircase into her dormitory. She fell asleep almost the instant she laid down in her bed, sleepily determined to find her friends in the morning.

* * *


End file.
